Concealed hinge for automobile doors



June 22, 1943. c. DUMELIN CONCEALED HINGE FOR AUTOMOBILE DOORS 2Sheefs-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1941 1N VENTOR.

0 I l 0 l June 22, 1943. c. DUMELlN CONCEALED HINGE FOR AUTOMOBILE DOORSFiled Sept. 5, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 MMw IN VENTOR.

Patented June 22, 1943 unrrso STATES PATENT OFFICE CONCEALED HINGE FORAUTOMOBILE DOORS Charles Dnmelin, Detroit, Mich.

Application September 5, 1941, Serial No. 409,677

' 2 Claims. ,(Cl. 16-166) The primary object of my invention is toprovide a concealed hinge particularly adapted for automobile bodies. Itcomprises two channels arranged to carry two elements of pivotalconnections.

A further object of my invention is to provide two elongated channelsadapted to close one over the other with the elements disposed withinthe space bounded by the outer edges of recesses formed on a pillar anddoor of an automobile body.

A further object being to provide a hinge comprising two channels to beset in recesses of the pillar and door, said channels being providedwith two alignments of bearing portions which are axially aligned bymeans of ball bearing elements, one set of bearing portions of eachalignment being provided with grooves. The vertical alignment of theball elements and the disposed grooves in the bearing portions give thedesired hinging movement.

In providing a plurality of spaced bearing portions and ball elements Iobtain a strong hinge with the elements so disposed as to conform tocurved body and door construction.

The invention is fully disclosed in this specification of which theaccompanying drawings ,form a part and in which the separate parts of myimprovement are designated by suitable reference characters in each ofsaid views and in which:

Fig. 1 is a vertical, sectional view of an automobile body pillar andside elevation of a door with the hinge attached to it.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a body pillar with the hinge inits relative closed position.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the hinge.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan View of the hinge showing it in a closedposition between a body pillar and adjacent door.

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view illustrating the hinge in an openposition.

Figs. 6 and '7 are elevation views of the pivotal channel with a set ofgrooved bearing portions and two pairs of spaced bearing portions.

Figs. 8 and 9 are elevation views of the stationary channel with a setof grooved bearing portions and two pairs of spaced bearing portions.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a pivoted connection taken along lines AA inFigs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

Fig. 11 is a plan View of a pivotal connection taken along lines BB inFigs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings.

Figs. 12 to 19, inclusive, are detail views in plan and elevation of thepivotal connecting members or bearing portions of the hinge.

In the drawings there is shown a body pillar l and a hingedly relateddoor 2, the body pillar having an outer body curve 3 and insideconstruction line 4 (see Fig. 2). The hinge for connecting the bodypillar and door includes two opposite channels 5 and 6 of the samelength and are adapted to be secured to the door and body pillarrespectively with the channels opening outwardly toward each other (noteFigs. 4 and 5). Fitting within the open channels are pivotal connectingmembers conforming at their inner ends to the inside cross section ofthe channels and these members are secured in place in the finalassembly.

The pivotal connecting members or bearing portions are shown in detailin Figs. 12 to 19, inclusive, and as shown in Figs. 6 to 9, inclusive,are finally assembled with relation to the channels in a particulararrangement. At the upper and lower ends of the channel 5 there aresituated pairs of similar bearing portions l2 having recesses 15 forball bearing elements B. These bal1 elements are movably mounted incurved grooves 55 in the upper and lower faces of bearing portions IE1,secured to channel 6 near the ends thereof. Also secured to the channel6 intermediate of the ends are pairs of similar bearing portions I Ihaving ball receiving recesses I4, and the balls A received therein areslidably mounted in slightly curved grooves 13 in the upper and lowerfaces of bearing portions 9 secured to channel 5 at points intermediateof the length thereof.

The plan views of Figs. 4, 5, 10 and 11 illustrate the relative positionof the bearing portions and connecting means of ball elements. Theresultant hinge action allows considerable outward bodily movement ofthe door concurrently with the compound pivotal movement thereof. Thesemovements are determined by the shape, extent and direction of thegrooves -I3 and IS in the bearing portions 9 and I0 respectively.

The arrangement of these grooves is clearly shown in the drawings, aswell as the relative location of the ball bearing elements A and B. Itis further noted that in the closed position of the door and hinge, theball elements A connecting the intermediate bearing portions are locatedadjacentthe outer side of the door, while the ball elements B connectingthe end bearing portions are located adjacent the inner side of thedoor.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the operation and advantages of my invention will be readilyunderstood.

Having thus described one embodiment of my invention, what I claim anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A door hinge of the concealed type comprising two channels forattachment to a door and door jamb, said channels having aligned bearingportions secured thereto, the bearing portions being located in pairs atthe upper and lower ends of one channel and intermediate the channellength of the other channel, each pair of bearing portions receiving abearing portion therebetween secured to a channel opposite thecorresponding pair of bearing portions, said bearing portions beingslidably and pivotally connected by ball bearing elements, said elementsbeing seated in recesses in said pairs of bearing portions and movablein curved grooves in the bearing portions receivedbetween said pairs ofbearing portions.

2. A door hinge of the concealed type comprising two channels forattachment to a door and door jamb, said channels having aligned bearingportions secured thereto, the bearing portions being located in pairs atthe upper and lower ends of one channel and intermediate the channellength of the other channel, each pair of bearing portions receiving abearing portion therebetween secured to a channel opposite thecorresponding pair of bearing portions, said bearing portions beingslidably and pivotally connected by ball bearing elements, said elementsbeing seated in recesses in said pairs of bearing portions and movablein curved grooves in the bearing portions received between said pairs ofbearing portions, and with the door in closed position the ball elementsconnecting the end bearing portions being disposed adjacent the insideof the door, with the ball elements connecting the intermediate bearingportions being disposed adjacent the outside of the door.

CHARLES DUMELIN.

